Lighting with EMI shielding

- Valeo Sylvania L.L.C.

An EMI shielding lens for a lamp, e.g., an automotive lamp. The lens includes a transparent, unitary, polymeric lens blank and a thin, heat transferred grid layer including an electrically conductive grid pattern disposed on the lens blank inner or outer surface. The grid pattern may be formed from indium tin oxide or from a conductive, heat transferable, inks or polymer. The grid layer may also include colored or opaque indicia. Linear elements of the grid pattern are spaced apart by less than 1/2 .lambda. of the EMI to be shielded. Also discloseed is an electromagnetic interference shielded lamp assembly including an electrically conductive housing, a light source within the housing, the EMI shielding lens fixed to the housing, and grounding means. Methods for fabricating the lens and the lamp assembly are also disclosed.

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Claims

1. An electromagnetic interference shielded lamp assembly comprising:

an electrically conductive housing;
a light source within said housing;
an electromagnetic interference shielding lens fixed to said housing, said housing and said lens together enclosing said light source, said lens comprising:
(a) a transparent, unitary, polymeric lens blank having an inner surface and an outer surface, and
(b) a thin, translucent, electrically conductive grid layer held on a light transmissive support layer and conforming and bonded to a selected one of said lens blank inner and outer surface; and an electrical coupling for electrically coupling said housing and said grid layer to a ground for shielding electromagnetic interference radiation emitted by said light source.

2. A lamp assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said grid layer is formed from indium tin oxide.

3. A lamp assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said grid layer includes a conductive grid pattern.

4. A lamp assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein said grid layer includes linear elements spaced apart by less than 1/2 the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation to be shield by the lens.

5. A lamp assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said lamp assembly is an automotive lamp assembly.

6. An electromagnetic interference shielded lamp assembly comprising:

an electrically conductive housing;
a light source within said housing;
an electromagnetic interference shielding lens fixed to said housing, said housing and said lens together enclosing said light source, said lens comprising:
(a) a transparent, unitary, polymeric lens blank having an inner surface and an outer surface, and
(b) a thin, translucent, electrically conductive grid layer conforming and bonded to a selected one of said lens blank inner and outer surface; and an electrical coupling for electrically coupling said housing and said grid layer to a ground for shielding electromagnetic interference radiation emitted by said light source, said grid layer is formed from a material selected from a group consisting of conductive, heat transferable, inks and polymers.

7. A method of fabricating an electromagnetic interference shielding lens for a lamp, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a transparent, unitary, polymeric lens blank having an inner surface and an outer surface,
pressing a thin, adherent, translucent, electrically conductive grid layer on a light transmissive support layer the grid and support layer being held on a carrier surface, against a selected one of said lens blank inner and outer surfaces, while
applying heat to bond said grid and support layer to said selected on of said lens blank surfaces.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said grid layer includes an electrically conductive grid pattern.

9. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said lamp is an automotive lamp.

10. A method of fabricating an electromagnetic interference shielded lamp assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a transparent, unitary, polymeric lens blank having an inner surface and an outer surface;
pressing while in a heated state a thin, adherent, translucent, electrically conductive grid layer held on a light transmissive support layer, the grid layer and support layer held on a carrier surface, to a selected one of said lens blank inner and outer surfaces to thereby conform and bond said grid layer to said lens blank surface to form an electromagnetic interference shielding lens;
mounting a light source within an electrically conductive housing such that light from said light source is projected in a preselected direction; and
fixing said electromagnetic radiation shielding lens to said housing such that said housing and said lens together enclose said light source, the light from said light source being protected through said lens and said grid layer;
electrically coupling said housing and said grid layer to a ground for shielding electromagnetic interference radiation emitted by said light source.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said grid layer includes an electrically conductive grid pattern.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said lamp assembly is an automotive lamp assembly.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4835666 May 30, 1989 Feger et al.
5169224 December 8, 1992 Segoshi et al.
5255163 October 19, 1993 Neumann
5258686 November 2, 1993 Segoshi et al.
5343370 August 30, 1994 Ohashi et al.
5448461 September 5, 1995 Fast et al.
5607228 March 4, 1997 Ozaki et al.
Patent History
Patent number: 5882108
Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 12, 1995
Date of Patent: Mar 16, 1999
Assignee: Valeo Sylvania L.L.C. (Seymour, IN)
Inventor: Robert L. Fraizer (Seymour, IN)
Primary Examiner: Y. Quach
Attorney: William E. Meyer
Application Number: 8/542,109